


let's get lost

by thoughtsickles



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Deaf Character, Deaf Louis, Famous Harry, M/M, Non-Famous Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 20:36:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12417690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtsickles/pseuds/thoughtsickles
Summary: the famous/non-famous deaf!louis uni AU i will never finish. i do want to write a complete a deaf!louis AU someday but it won’t be this one. i kind of got bored with where it was going and idk. perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be. i reserve the right to cannibalize from this for any future endeavors, tho.(part of the reason i abandoned this is that i’d need to do a lot more research on deaf culture—apologies in advance for anything i get wrong, i pretty much only know what Switched at Birth taught me.)





	let's get lost

The club’s music is way too loud, even Louis can tell that. The vibrations are pounding through the floor and up into his bones. He sways his hips a little and Liam grins at him.

“I love coming out with you. Everyone else is shouting and we can have a normal conversation,” Liam signs.

“Maybe I don’t want to have a normal conversation. Maybe I want to get wasted and grind on someone sweaty,” Louis signs. He’s just teasing Liam, really.  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean—“ Liam is quick to try and apologize. 

Louis rolls his eyes and waves his hand, letting Liam know he was only joking.

Liam is hearing. They’d met when Louis was dating Liam’s older sister, way back in high school. Katie is deaf and she and Louis had bonded over being trapped in their tiny special school, and having hearing siblings, and they made out a lot and Louis tried really hard not to think about her brother during. What can he say, Liam was fluffy and cute back then, and he could actually hold a conversation with Louis, unlike most of the boys in Donny. Liam wasn’t always as hunky as he is now but he smelled really like boy back then. Louis doesn’t get hot about the smell of Axe anymore, but he still appreciates a boy who smells like boy. 

“Do you want to dance?” Liam asks.

Louis nods, finishes the rest of his drink, and lets Liam lead him out onto the floor. Louis likes the dance floor. He can feel the rhythm and see the same flashing lights and smell the same sweat as everyone else. No boy wants to hold a conversation with him on the dance floor, they just want to grind up on his ass. It’s nice to feel that simplicity, sometimes. 

Liam doesn’t let him get too far away in the press of bodies, but he isn’t overprotective either. Louis lets a tall boy with an undercut put his arms around his neck and swivel their hips together a little. He spins around and lets a boy even shorter than him pull his hands up to sway them over his head. He flits from boy to boy, grinning and sweaty and only one of them gropes his ass without permission and gets a slap, and it’s nice. It’s exactly what he needed, and he finds Liam’s eyes and gives him a thumbs up. 

Liam returns it and looks all flustered. There’s a slim boy trying to grind up on him, and Louis bites back a laugh because Liam looks like a muscley top but he’s really the shyest most flustered flirt Louis’ ever seen. 

Louis mimes getting a drink at Liam and Liam nods, blushing at the guy’s arm coming up around his neck. 

He extracts himself from the crowd, fixing his fringe and looking for an open spot at the bar. 

He feels some guy come up behind him, breathing in his ear. He jumps back and turns around.

The guy backs away, saying “Sorry,” and something else Louis doesn’t catch. Louis’ lip reading is pretty good, but not in the dark and not with people who don’t know to clearly enunciate and keep their heads from turning. 

This guy tall and has curly hair falling onto his shoulders that he runs a hand through, and is wearing the kind of sheer Gay shirt that Louis has always wanted to rock but is never sure he can pull off. He’s cute. He’s probably asking to buy Louis a drink or something. But Louis isn’t going to date anyone who’s hearing, and he’s certainly not going to hook up with a hearing boy, however much he likes the way said boy is looking at him. 

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, and the boy catches on, disappointment on his face. “Sorry,” he says again, clearly enough for Louis to catch, and then slinks away. Louis feels a little bad. He shouldn’t be so mean to some boy who just wanted to flirt and maybe dance with him a little. 

He gives up trying to get the bartender’s attention and goes back to Liam on the floor, dancing a little more subdued, until Liam picks up on his mood and suggests they call it a night. 

*****

Katie wakes him up with a text. He scrambles around to where his phone is vibrating under his pillow. 

_You remember that band i LOVED back in school?_

_the dumb poppy boyband one?_ louis texts back.

_you liked them too, don’t lie. i know you liked staring at my poster while we made out_

_that’s a dirty lie_

Katie had had a One Direction poster directly above her bed. They were a bunch of twinky looking guys, clean-cut and rosy-cheeked and Louis had liked to look at the plush lips of the curly-haired one. So sue him. 

Katie used to wax poetic about their rhythms, how the one guy’s voice was deep enough to feel, how pretty they were. Louis was pretty sure their looks were the main draw. 

_anyway they’re doing special meet and greets for the special schools and i begged mrs. goodwin to get me in and WERE GOING TO MEET ONE DIRECTION!!!!!!_

_oh i’m coming am i?_

_course you are. you wanked off to them same as me_

_it’s been like 5 years, they’re probably all fat and old by now. do they even still make music?_

_shut your whore mouth tommo it’s only been 3 years and their new album is excellent. just because you don’t pay attention to anything except radio 1 garbage…_

Louis tries to head off the rant before she exhausts her thumbs. _are you making lima go?_

_of course_

_fine, i’ll come. i bet their hair is way less glorious these days_

_you could just look up pics of them online_

_where would be the fun in that?_

*****

The meet and greet people have the chaperones divide the kids up into manageable groups, trying to corral 30 kids and their families and whoever else they wrangled tickets for. 

“A lot of hassle to see some washed-up middle aged musicians,” Louis signs to Katie.

“They’re barely 22. You’re such a shithead. Just admit you’re kind of excited.”

“Never.”

Louis flicks her bra strap and she pinches his nipple, and Liam has to separate them. Katie’s always been a little taller than him but she’s wearing wedge heels and Louis feels very short between the two of them, even though he’s a perfectly normal height, thank you. 

Finally, after ages of waiting in line, they’re lead into the room, and Mrs. Goodwin is introducing them, and Louis gets his first glimpse of One Direction.

He completely misses what Mrs. Goodwin is trying to say, too busy staring. The curly-haired lead singer from One Direction, the one he used to stare while Katie chewed on his neck, is that guy from the bar. 

Louis tries to reconcile the chubby-cheeked kid on the poster with this man, tall and long-haired and wearing a non-sheer button-up opened up almost to his waist and the tightest skinnies Louis has ever seen. 

Harry Styles. Louis knows his name, though he wouldn’t admit that to Katie. 

Harry’s beaming around waving at the little girls in their group, and Louis tries to slink into the background but then Harry’s eyes come to him and stop. 

Harry stares at him, mouth open for a minute, before shaking out of it and turning back to the rest of the group, face slightly pink. He signs hello and his name, and that it’s nice to meet all of them. Katie jumps up and down and grabs Louis excitedly. 

“He knows how to sign!”

“So he watched a few youtube tutorials before we came in. Big fucking deal.”

Katie sighs and goes to squee with one of the younger girls. Louis turns to find Harry looking at him, and Harry turns away when he meets his eyes. Louis wonders for a moment if Harry had understood his signing before dismissing the thought. 

Everyone gets a group shot and then they break off for individuals pictures, Mrs. Goodwin translating the personal messages and whatnot from the kids to the band.  
Louis, Katie, and Liam get a pic by themselves, and Mrs. Goodwin introduces them as visiting alumni and family. They stand still for the camera, carefully posed, and Harry looks at Louis like he’d like to say something else, but Louis turns away, already embarrassed about this whole deal. They’re moved along and out of the room, and Louis is relieved to get out of there and away from Harry’s green eyes following him around. 

*****

The concert is great, and Louis enjoys himself enough to make up for any earlier awkwardness, jumping around with Katie and Liam enough to make his legs sore. He even remembers a few of the greatest hits they play, though he’ll deny it if Katie asks. They don’t have closed captioning for the in-between song bits but Louis doesn’t need to know the band’s lame banter. He watches the big screen cameras flit from boy to boy, trying to reconcile the Harry on stage with the guy who tried to hit on him only yesterday. It’s surreal. The Harry on stage is almost a different person, thrusting and sweeping his hair around and grabbing his bulge in a way that’s probably inappropriate for a concert with so many young girls. Louis doesn’t blame him, if he had a bulge like that he’d definitely flaunt it. 

The camera goes to Harry right before the last song, and he’s giant and close and vivid on the screen. Harry blows a kiss and then puts his mike down. 

“A special shout out to the Bates School here from Doncaster, and the friends they’ve brought along. Hope you had a brilliant time,” he signs. It’s not as smooth as a fluent signer would be, but it’s—Harry knows more than just a beginner's vocabulary. He’s well near fluent. 

“What do you have to say now, doubter?” Katie asks.

Louis can’t keep the shock off of his face and she laughs at him for the whole ride back to his and Liam’s apartment. 

********

Louis has an early class, so he drags himself up at 7 the next morning, making sure to wake Katie up from the couch just to annoy her. He puts his headphones on and heads for the bus stop. He doesn’t even listen to music half the time, preferring to be aware of his surroundings while out on his own. But it’s easier for people to understand he’s not hearing what they’re saying to him when they see his ears are covered. 

He boards the bus and sees the screens aren’t working again—he’ll have to watch for his stop out the window. 

His uni-provided interpreter is waiting for him outside the lecture hall, clutching a coffee and looking about as happy to be up as Louis is. 

“No coffee for me?” Louis signs.

Zayn rolls his eyes and sets his cup down on the railing to reply. “You should be buying me a coffee, for making it here this early.”

“The university not pay you enough for the privilege of my company?”

“You think we have time for a smoke?”

“Definitely not,” Louis signs, pulling out his pack anyway. They’re only a few minutes late, and the lecturer apologizes to them. Louis’ not above milking the poor deaf kid angle.

Zayn has only been his interpreter for this semester, but Louis hopes he can keep him. Zayn treats him like a normal human, and is just as much of a shithead as he is. He always adds good commentary to the lectures he interprets, like whether we think the professor’s toupee is slipping, and should he ask out that cute girl in the front row (Louis replies that she looks too nice for him. Zayn tells him to fuck off, but agrees.)

After teaching theory Zayn heads with him to Dramatic Arts, and then they part ways. Louis’ only afternoon class is American Sign Language, which is taught in the special Deaf Studies building, and is specially taught to those already fluent in BSL, so he doesn’t need Zayn. He’s got a two hour break until then, so he grabs some lunch from the food court and heads to the coffee shop near the bookstore, thinking he’ll get some studying done, or at least chat a little to Katie on messenger.  
There’s a crowd at the bookstore when he walks past, and with a bad feeling he looks around for the sign of who’s having an event— of course. There’s a sign with their faces on it. Fucking One Direction. Can Louis not get some peace? This guy is practically stalking him. Louis ducks into the alley, taking a secret shortcut that only he and Zayn know, past the loading dock and around the dumpsters and around the corner and…

Smack into where Harry Styles has just come out of an exit door. 

They stare at each other for a long minute and then Harry raises his hand in a wave.

“Hi,” Harry signs. He’s grinning, and Louis would have turned around and walked right back the way he came but. Harry is smiling at him and Louis’s mum taught him manners, dammit. He hitches his backpack up and walks up. It’ll just be a quick chat. Just let Harry apologize for whatever slight he thinks he’s committed against the poor deaf kid, and then Louis can be on his way. 

“I’m sorry I came onto you like that at the club,” Harry signs. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Is that your smooth pickup move? Whispering in a guy’s ear all breathy and sexy?” Louis signs. Which. Sounds a lot more flirty than he was going for. 

“It’s actually been quite successful for me,” Harry signs. He bites his lip, and Louis feels his cheeks heat up in spite of himself. 

“How do you know BSL?” Louis asks. It’s maybe rude, but he wants to know. Does Harry have a deaf sibling, like Liam? Surely Louis would have heard about it from Katie. 

“It was one of the foreign language options at school. And I always wanted to be fluent, so I continued on with it after I got in the band.”

“You just learned for the hell of it? Just as a hobby?”

Harry shrugs. “Can’t say it doesn’t come in handy.” He’s looking at Louis the same way he looked at him in the club, and Louis hasn’t been flirted with by a boy who could actually talk to him in— it’s probably since Greg. His last and only boyfriend. 

“What are you doing back here?”

“Came out to have a smoke, actually.”

“Isn’t that bad for your voice?”

“This is the only one I’ve had this week.”

“These events stress you out?”

“I like the meet and greets. But the signings…” He pauses, running a hand through his hair before continuing. “It’s just a lot of fans at once. It’s not as…” he searches for the word and Louis lets him sign it out in letters a bit before helping him with the sign. “… personal.”

That’s one way of putting it. Louis would’ve compared it to being gawked at like a zoo animal.

“I was just going for a coffee,” Louis signs. 

“Of course. I won’t keep you,” Harry signs, looking a bit flustered.

Louis bites his lip. “Do you want to come with? If you have time.”

Harry’s smile is slow and wide and Louis sees the dimples and knows he’s in trouble.

“They won’t miss me for another few minutes,” Harry signs. 

They duck back inside to the student union, where the tables are set up near the coffee shop.

“Was that your sister? At the meet and greet?” Harry asks.

Louis’s puzzled, trying to figure out what Harry means— “You mean Katie? God no. She was my first girlfriend.”

Harry raises his eyebrows and gestures for Louis to elaborate.

They get a few stares, like Louis always does when he’s signing in public, but then again, they might just be trying to get a look at Harry. Even if he’s not as recognizable as he was in White Eskimo’s heyday, he’s still astonishingly good-looking. Louis would stare too. 

“We dated when we were 16, and I’m roommates with her brother now. She loves you guys so she invited herself along on the school’s trip.” 

Louis leaves out the part about the poster. Harry doesn’t need to know that.

“Does her brother go to uni here too?”

“Yeah, he’s the one you met at the meet and greet— Liam. He’s a PT major.”

Harry ends up staying for almost an hour, chatting to Louis about his family, his travels. Louis tells him he’s a Drama major with a minor in teaching, hoping to get a job at a school like — teaching deaf kids theater. Harry’s vocabulary is only so good, and Louis has to spell out words a few times, but it’s surprisingly easy to talk to him. Louis hasn’t met many hearing people that are fluent enough to really enjoy talking with, besides his family and Liam. 

Harry looks at his phone and frowns. “I should probably get going. They’re going to kill me if I’m not back soon.”

“I have to go to my next lecture anyway," Louis says.

“Do you think—“ 

Louis misses what Harry’s saying when he bends down to get his backpack, and Harry looks shy when he stands back up. 

“Could I skype you sometime?” Harry signs, carefully spelling out skype. “It’s really nice talking with you, and it’s so hard to find people to practice with when I’m on the road.”

Louis turns to get his phone, trying to hide his smile, but Harry’s grinning like he saw it anyway. They trade numbers and Louis walks away, and if he adds a little extra sway to his hips on his way out, well, he’s just got a famous boybander’s number. Katie is going to kill him.

*******

Only he doesn’t end up telling Katie. He thinks about it, thinks about bragging to Liam or Katie or even Zayn, but something stops him. Partly it feels unreal, partly he doesn’t think Harry is actually going to get in touch, and partly he just—he wants to keep Harry to himself for a little while. 

It’s less than a week after their coffee date when he sees an unknown number trying to connect with him on skype. He accepts, heart beating fast, and then Harry’s typing into the chat bubble—

“Are you free to talk now?”

Louis presses call immediately and then rushes to check his hair before the call connects. 

Harry waves at him from a dark room. Louis grins, even though he can barely see his face through the graininess.

“Could you go somewhere with better light?”

There’s a shuffling of the picture and then Harry appears again. “Sorry.”

“Are you on the bus?”

“Yeah, the connection’s not great, so apologies if it goes out on us.” His hair is fluffier and less curly than usual, and he’s wearing a t-shirt with a stretched out neck, and he looks even better than Louis remembers. Harry’s dimple is deep in the shadow as he smiles at Louis. “I like your glasses.”

Louis had forgot he was wearing them. “It’s too late for contacts.”

“I’m not keeping you up, am I?”

“No, I was going to try and write a paper. Glad for the distraction, though.”

They talk for over two hours, and Harry’s eyes keep getting brighter, and Louis doesn’t even feel tired even though he should have gone to bed ages ago. 

Harry leans up agains the window. Louis can’t see the scenery, too dark out for that. 

“Can I ask you something?” Louis signs. 

“Anything.”

“What line were you trying to use on me in that club?”

Harry laughs, turning his head into the window, shoulders shaking with it. “Never going to let that go, are you?”

“I just want to know what kind of smooth Harry Styles charm I missed out on.”

“I was drunk, and I think I can be excused…”

“Just tell me. Exactly as you said it.”

Harry sits up and fixes Louis with a look. It’s no longer shy and giggly. There’s intent, and Louis feels hot down to his toes. 

“I told you, ‘Do you know you’ve got the best ass in this place?”

Louis collapses on his desk, laughing. He looks back up to find Harry laughing with him. 

“I love your laugh,” Harry signs. 

“I was expecting so much more. I was really building you up in my head, and this is what you lead with?”

“It was a rhetorical question,” Harry signs, spelling out rhetorical until Louis corrects him with the right sign, almost automatically by now. “Obviously you knew you had the best ass in that place.”

“I have the best ass in any place.”

“You’re cocky. I like that.”

Louis smiles, but it’s dimmer than before. Harry thinks he’s interesting, sure, the hot deaf guy. But he doesn’t actually like Louis, not beyond the fact that he’s different from other people Harry knows, that he’s an interesting project for Harry. This is all going nowhere really, but Louis doesn’t want to end it just yet. He wants to keep pretending. 

“I’m back in Manchester next month. Can I see you?” Harry asks, a little shyly.

Louis wants to say yes, so he does. His mum would warn him, but she doesn’t know about Harry, because Louis hasn’t told her. 

**********

Harry texts Louis when Louis’ in the middle of a mall, trying to corral three girls under ten. 

_do you want to hang out?_

_sorry, mum brought the girls over_ Louis replies.

 _can i meet them? / sorry, that’s presumptuous_

_i mean. you can if you really want to?_

And that’s how Harry ends up meeting Louis outside a Gregg’s while Vicky and Georgie are getting crumbs all down their shirts and Becs is complaining that Louis won’t buy her a coffee. 

They don’t know who Harry is beyond just that he’s a friend of Louis’. Louis is a little worried they might recognize him, but they’re still a bit young for One Direction. Tori would know him, but she’s far too cool to be tagging along with her brother to the mall. 

Harry walks up and signs hello to them, even though Louis’ told him they’re hearing. It makes something warm settle inside him, that Harry is including him even in this interaction. 

The girls start signing back to him, assuming that he’s one of Louis’ deaf friends. Their signing is fragmented and not always wholly understandable, and Harry tries to follow it before looking up at Louis.

“You can talk to them. I don’t mind.”

That’s the end of Louis getting to talk to Harry, as they immediately grab his hands and lead him off into the shops, rattling off a million questions and asking Harry’s opinions on various hats and necklaces. Louis can tell Becs already has a bit of a crush. He can’t blame her, really. 

He doesn’t get a real chance to talk to Harry again until the girls are busy in the jewelry section of Primark, looking for cheap earrings.

Harry’s in a beanie and a jacket, and looks much more like any random uni student that Louis might see on campus than his usual glamor. 

“Becs is the only one who’s even got pierced ears,” Louis signs. “Don’t know what the others are bothering about.”

Harry walks them backwards until they’re around the other side of the aisle, in a hidden corner by the socks. 

“Sorry we didn’t get much of a chance to talk,” Louis signs. Harry just looks at him.

Harry’s hand comes up to cradle the side of Louis’ jaw. Harry walks them slowly back so Louis is against the wall. 

Harry’s asking a question with his eyes and Louis nods, and Harry presses their mouths together.

Louis finds his eyes flickering closed, though he doesn’t even like to do that. He’s always liked to be aware of his surroundings. But Harry’s big hands are on him, one on the back of his neck and one in the dip of his waist, and Harry is tugging his bottom lip gently, and Louis hasn’t been kissed like this since he broke up with Greg, a full year ago. Louis hasn’t been kissed like this ever, not all slow and purposeful and with the promise of something waiting to be said. 

Louis slides his foot up the wall without even realizing it, and Harry’s hand drops down to his ass, and there’s nothing else in the world except Harry’s smell and Harry’s wet mouth and Harry’s hands and Harry’s body pressing into his. 

Harry’s jerking away suddenly and Louis blinks his eyes open. Of course it’s the girls making some sort of ruckus about seeing them, and Harry looks embarrassed and red-faced and a little bit cocky. Louis has to twist his nipple for that, and gets a smack on his butt in return. 

“Is Harry your boyfriend?” Becs asks him as they’re walking out, and Louis knows Harry’s seen her ask it, and he turns to catch Harry’s smile. 

“None of your business,” he signs back, but he knows it’s a lost cause, and his mum is going to call him about it literally 5 minutes after the girls are back with her. 

They’re walking back when Vicky stops him— he turns to find Harry and Becs and Georgie have fallen behind. There’s a group of college-aged girls talking to Harry. They’ve got their phones out— they must have recognized him. 

Louis pulls Vicky to the side to wait it out. Harry jogs a little to catch up, letting go of Becs hand to say “Sorry.”

Louis waves it away. 

“I’ve got to go to a meeting,” Harry signs. Louis awkwardly hugs him goodbye, the girls are less awkward, clinging to Harry and probably screaming a thousand things in his ear. 

Harry squeezes Louis’ hand, just a quick one, and then heads for the car park. 

**********

Tori texts him the pictures only hours later, after the girls have gone home. They’re grainy and nothing particularly scandalous, just Louis and Harry hugging, but apparently that’s enough for Harry’s fans to go wild. 

_don’t worry they don’t know who you are_ Harry texts him a few minutes later.

 _i forgot you were famous_ he texts Harry.

_sorry :((( my fans can be a little much / i should have warned you_

_it’s fine curly. just glad they weren’t in primark_

_harry sends him back the blushing emoji, and a whole row of kisses, and next time somewhere more private_

_you don’t like to wine and dine boys with their 500 sisters along?_

_i love your sisters._

_they love you. i think becs is planning her wedding to you_

_but i have some other ideas for our dates_

_oh i’m dating you now, huh_

_there’s not boys. only you_

_what a line_

_is it working? ;)_

_i’m not so easily wooed, styles_

_what does it take to woo you lou / it rhymes :)_

_nerd / aren’t you in a band? where’s my song_

_i’ll write you a song_

_and i need flowers. nice ones, none of these synthetic roses_

_getting my notepad out. what else is one the list?_

_interesting surprise dates_

_i’m very creative. what else?_

They keep texting late into the night.

*****

Harry texts him about getting together the next weekend. 

_sorry, we should probably avoid the mall next time. i don’t want you to feel like i’m hiding you or anything, but. my fans can be a little much sometimes_

_want to come hang out at my flat?_

_ok ;)_

_don’t get any ideas styles. this is strictly socializing_

_should i bring a film?_

_no i’m full of shit obviously we’re just going to make out_

_;)))))_

_perv / text me when you’re on your way_

*******

Louis heads down to let Harry in. Liam’s offered to ask their landlord for a flashing buzzer for their flat, but that just sounds kind of annoying, and anyway, all of Louis’ friends know just to text him. Liam can handle all the delivery people and whatnot. 

Harry greets him with a hug, and Louis leads him up the three flights of stairs to the flat. 

Harry touches his arm to get his attention, and signs “I like the poster.”

Louis turns and sees the One Direction poster Katie had hung up last time she was over. Dammit, he’d forgotten about that.

“That’s not mine. Liam is a big fan, actually…”

Harry raises his eyebrows and smirks.

“Do you want a tea?” Louis asks.

He busies himself making them both a brew, leaving Harry to take in the rest of his small and under-decorated student flat. Neither he or Liam are much into home stuff. He probably should have washed the dishes in the sink. 

They sit across from each other, Harry on the couch and Louis on the single chair in their tiny common area. Louis awkwardly sips from his mug. 

He and Harry both start signing at once and then stop. Harry laughs, motioning Louis to go first. 

Louis’ already embarrassed at how lame his question was. “Did you have a good flight in?”

“Long, but fine.”

Louis nods. 

Harry takes a sip and sets his mug back down. “How long have you and Liam lived here?”

Fuck, they’re not doing this. Louis sets his mug down and fixes Harry with a look. Then he stands up and climbs into Harry’s lap. 

“Hi,” Harry breathes, mouth smiling only inches from Louis’ own. His arms wrap around Louis’ waist and Louis presses their lips together.

Harry smells like boy, dark and musky, and he touches Louis like he’s overwhelmed by it, like he doesn’t know where to put his hands first but he’s got a list of intentions a mile long. 

“Can I…” Harry says, and then stops, and tries to sign something but Louis is in the way.

Louis sits back on his knees so he can sign. “You can talk. I can read lips.”

Harry pulls him back in, running his hands up Louis’ sides. Louis shivers into it, and he can very clearly read Harry’s “fuck.”

Harry swallows and lets his hands wrap around Louis’ waist. “I kind of thought… you don’t really like to read lips.”

Louis carefully doesn’t look at Harry’s eyes. He mouths back without vocalizing. “It’s annoying.”

Harry frowns, confused. 

Louis laughs. “My point exactly.” He climbs off Harry’s lap and flops back on the couch, lying down with his feet over Harry’s lap, giving him room to sign. “It’s annoying when people just expect you to. And they’re always mumbling. But for this, I don’t mind.” He feels his cheeks heat up. 

“I get that. And I’m obviously rubbish at it,” Harry signs. “So I don’t know… how are we going to talk. Like this.”

Harry’s hands are rubbing over Louis’ ankles, and Louis knows, is the thing. He’s just putting it off as long as he can. 

“I don’t want you to hear what I sound like,” he signs, purposefully messy, in hopes that Harry won’t understand it.

“Louis…” He can see Harry’s lips moving, can see the way his face falls. “I would never…. judge you. Not for something like that.”

“I know.”

Harry scoots Louis over and lays down beside him, so they’re facing each other, Louis half hanging off the edge of the couch. Harry wraps his arm around Louis to pull him closer. 

“Hi,” Louis says, vocalizing carefully, heart beating out of his chest.

Harry smiles. “You’re lovely. You shouldn’t be nervous. You sound lovely.”

Louis hates having to focus in on his lips so much instead of being able to look in his eyes. “What do I sound like?”

Harry brushes Louis’ fringe back with his free hand. “Soft. High. A little raspy. But like, in a sexy way.”

“Oh, well. As long as it’s sexy.”

Harry grins and Louis can feel the vibrations of his giggles against his chest where they’re pressed together. 

“I wanna kiss you,” Harry says. “Can I kiss you? And if I do anything you don’t like, just, pinch me or something.”

Louis nods and pushes Harry so he can properly get on top and press Louis down into the cushions. 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for ages. I’ve never been this crazy over someone. I go crazy when I’m not with you, and then when I’m with you I can’t hardly stand how much I want you.”

“Sounds tough,” Louis says.

Harry grins and Louis pokes his finger into the dimple. “I’m trying to be serious.”

Louis strokes his fingers through Harry’s hair, letting the silence stretch out. “Me too,” he says, finally, and he thinks Harry knows how to fill in what he meant to say.

Harry’s hands are soft and huge and roaming all over Louis, and he’s never been more aware of his own skin than when Harry strokes up under his shirt. 

Louis feels himself let out a moan and blushes, embarrassed, but Harry’s eyes go dark and his tongue is licking into Louis’ mouth with a new desperation.

Harry’s hands settle on the button of his jeans and Louis opens his eyes to the question on Harry’s lips and nods, and then Harry is unzipping him and stroking him slowly and Louis has to bite his lip not to come right then. 

Harry catches his eye and then very clearly annunciates. “Can I suck you?”

Louis breathes out a “yeah” and Harry is kissing down his chest, pushing Louis’ shirt up.

**Author's Note:**

> .... aaaaand that's it folks. rip.


End file.
